Al Jazara
روایت خاورمیانه 
Saudi Arabia feels caught between the blades of Iran and the United States. After its request for assistance to confront the Houthis was rejected by the United States, the Saudi government is facing the "worst-case scenario possible."
Inability to Garner Military Support
In recent days, Houthi militants from Yemen, recognized as allies of Iran, have repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia, and these threats, particularly regarding the disruption of the country's oil exports, have put additional pressure on the global economy. Experts and analysts believe that Donald Trump's reluctance to confront the Houthis has left Saudi Arabia in a state of despair.
Read more: Saudi Arabia's request to Britain for military support against the Houthis
Saudi Arabia is increasingly caught in the middle of the war between the United States and Iran, and the country's leadership is assessing its options for responding to this situation. In recent weeks, Saudi diplomatic efforts to engage with Iran have yielded limited results. A meeting that was supposed to take place between Iranian and Saudi officials was abruptly postponed, as the gap between the two countries' positions remains deep.
Frequent Houthi Attacks and Their Impacts
While Saudi Arabia was relatively safe from retaliatory attacks by Iran at the beginning of the war, it now faces greater threats. In just the past two weeks, the country has encountered attacks from Iran-backed forces in various regions. In late August, a Saudi oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of two sailors.
On Friday, Houthi militants seized areas along a vital global shipping route, while Saudi officials announced that they were forced to shut down a critical oil pipeline due to a drone attack by an Iraqi militia group. This pipeline had become a key route for Saudi oil exports to the Red Sea after Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Michael Ratney, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, "The reason a country like Saudi Arabia invests so heavily in developing security cooperation with the United States is precisely to face such conditions." Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, despite his efforts to garner military support from the United States, has failed to capture Trump's attention.
Saudi officials have explicitly stated that the country is unwilling to fight the Houthis alone, particularly because previous military operations by Saudi Arabia against this group have turned into a decade-long quagmire. Abdulrahman al-Rashed, a columnist close to the Saudi government, wrote in this regard: "This issue requires international support, not just from Saudi Arabia and regional countries."
Read more: Iran destroyed an advanced American drone over the Strait of Hormuz · J.D. Vance on Yemen: We have had direct talks with the Houthis
